Chemotherapy and Parkinson's - Chemotherapy Message Board

Southernlady007 · 08-31-2003, 07:27 AM

I'm looking for information from those who have Parkinson's
Disease, are taking Parkinson's medications and also have
taken chemotherapy for cancer.

I'm looking for tips, recommendations, cautions and "lessons
learned" that you would be willing to share with me.

Thankyou,
Southernlady007
wbanksX@erols.com [please remove the "X" from the middle of my address]

Bruce · 08-31-2003, 08:31 AM

Dr. Lieberman, the director of the NPF (National Parkinsons Foundation), says their is no information available about drug interactions between chemotherapy drugs and pd drugs. The reason is their are not enough patients who have cancer and pd to do a study.

He also said that the chemotherapy takes presedence over the pd, because cancer is life threatening and pd is not.

Bruce

Southernlady007 · 08-31-2003, 09:29 AM

Thank you Bruce but I'm aware there are no studies that's why I posted on this list.

I'm looking for information from * those who have * Parkinson's
Disease, are taking Parkinson's medications and also have
taken chemotherapy for cancer.

Those who have "been there and done that" are the ones I'm trying to reach.

Southernlady007

Bruce · 08-31-2003, 11:35 AM

You can go to the NPF website, aign up for "ask the doctor" and use "chemotherapy" for a search word. Their will be many messages like yours. I am not certain if you can contact them, but it would be worth trying it. You could post your question.

Bruce

susan6708 · 08-31-2003, 10:21 PM

I've been trying to research the same thing since July when my mom was dx. with inflammatory breast cancer (very agressive form of breast cancer). She's 75 and has had Parkinsons for at least 5 years.

Here is what I know so far:

1) Compazine, commonly given for chemo-induced nausea, should not be used with Parkinson's patients since it increases rigidity. There are other newer (more expensive!) drugs can can be used, Kytril for example

2) The chemo drug taxol can cause lots of neurological symptions even in people without neurological diseases - avoid it! My mom is on the A-C regimen, a common chemo regimen, and is not having problems with the chemo per se.

3) the biggest problem is not the chemo drug interacting with the parkinson's drugs - it is the chemo causing extreme weakness, which aggravates the Parkinson's. Mom had to increase her Parkinson's med dosage to try to compensate a little.

That's all I know for know.